


Almost Lovers

by notjustmom



Series: What if... [4]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Irene is a bit of a BAMF, Irene rescues Sherlock from Serbia, John still clueless, M/M, No Mary, alternative universe, angsty banter, on orders from Mycroft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 16:30:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7941424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if...Irene, not Mycroft, gets Sherlock out of Serbia...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Communication

Ms. Adler. - MH

Ah, Mr. Holmes, wondering when you'd turn up. What can I do for you? - TWH

My brother. - MH

Hmm, a bit not dead, yes? There have been rumours of a ghost killing off Moriarty's merry band of mischief makers. - TWH

He's trapped in Serbia. - MH

Shit. Bad place. - TWH

Get him home, you get a clean slate, anywhere but London. - MH

Give me time to think. - TWH

You owe him. - MH

Don't you think I know that? - TWH

Two minutes, Ms. Adler, deal is gone. I'd go myself, but I'm too well known. - MH

You - field work? Don't make me laugh. - TWH

Tread carefully, Ms. Adler. I did find you.- MH

Yes. Yes. I'll do it. John know he's still-? - TWH

No. - MH

No. You guys are a piece of work - TWH

No. I understand, he could never fake that kind of grief. Too honest.- TWH

I will send a courier with the coordinates, tell her what you need. - MH

When? - TWH

An hour. - MH

That bad? - TWH

He'd been off the radar for a month. - MH

Damn. Don't know what I'll find, I've heard stories. - TWH

Time is of the essence, Ms. Adler. - MH

Always nice chatting with you, Iceman. - TWH


	2. Returning the Favour

Irene took a deep breath as she gently touched his face. "Sherlock. I'm here to take you home, I don't know if it's too late or not...dear God...what did they do to you?"

"Where did Mycroft dig you up from? Is he at the dentist again?" Sherlock managed not to scream as she lifted him carefully from the cold, damp cement floor. "They weren't nearly as gentle as you were, and I believe the weapon of choice was a chain, rather than a whip. I'm not sure he hasn't sent you on a rather dubious mission of mercy. John won't unders - oh fuck -"

"Ribs?"

"Hmmm....and ankles, one knee...won't play any Christmas carols for a while...what month is it anywa- "

"No...Sherlock...stay with me, the helicopter is only a few meters away, just lean on me, need you to stay awake just for a couple more minutes...just think, you'll get to punch out your brother once you heal enough...c'mon...breathe for me...breathe for John."

A shuddering whimper shook her iron sensibilities for a moment. "No, damnit. Nope. You are not going to die on me. C'mon, you are my ticket out of this life." 

"Haven't changed much, have you -" Sherlock spat out, but with little venom and she almost snorted.

"No. You have though - I heard through - never mind who, you faked your death to save him."

"I once faked your death to save you -" he muttered as he stumbled against her.

"Not the same thing." She sighed and threw him over her shoulder. "Sorry. I know it hurts, but they could wake up soon, and I don't think I can take them all out on my own."

"No, it's not the same thing at all. Not at all." He groaned as she fell to one knee.

"Shit! Sorry, just have to get outside, onto the chopper and then Mycroft will meet you in Germany."

"Ahh...Germany. Remember Berlin? We had fun in Berlin, didn't we 'Rene." Sherlock managed to open his eyes and she swallowed hard. Almost the same eyes, but something had died in them. The light was missing. She lifted him in her arms again and she shook her head trying to stop the tears from forming.

"Yeah, love, we did." She somehow managed to maneuver through the jagged tear in the fence without hurting him further.

"You won't leave me, will you 'Rene?" Sherlock whispered to her as she handed him off to the burly co-pilot. 

Fuck. This wasn't part of the plan.

She sighed and climbed into the seat next to him; he slumped against her, and she let him fall gently into her lap as he finally fell asleep. "I'm so sorry, love. I hope he forgives you. I truly hope he was worth it." She tried to thread her fingers into the matted mess of tangles. "Haircut. Shave. New suit, you'll be fine." 

Liar. I was always a terrible liar. No one else knew that, except you.


	3. Motives...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some missing bits...

"Sorry about dinner."

She remembered the look on his face as he slipped quietly from the room, a twist of pity and unrelieved loathing, at least she had thought so. Even now, as she held him as he shivered in her arms, she still wasn't sure why he had replied to her text.

"I owed you, 'Rene. Seems I am in your debt yet again." He groaned as the helicopter was buffeted again by the strong winds.

"How, why?"

"After I left you to Mycroft and his underlings, I walked for hours before I returned to Baker Street, I went back to the beginning, when you first contacted Jim. You had merchandise, but weren't sure how best to capitalise on your windfall, until you - oh god, 'Rene, you should have left me there - he'll never forgive me." She wiped the tears gently from his bruised and bloodied cheekbones, even sharper than the day she met him, which she hadn't thought possible.

"If you tell him why -"

"NO. No - I can't. Then he would know. He doesn't, can't know why - not ever -"

"You love him. You died for him -"

"But I made him watch, he got there too soon. I didn't tell him, I made him think - he will never, could never forgive that, he believes he failed to save me, 'Rene. He thinks it's his fault - I heard it in his voice, he tried, he tried, 'Rene, but I had no choice -"

She heard the panic rise in his voice and felt him tremble in her arms."Shhh - I found out about Jim from one of my - he was an accountant - and he let Jim's name slip, one of his last mistakes, or so I heard..."

"Your first phone call to him saved us, saved John, from being blown up - I didn't know until you admitted he helped you plan - so I owed you, and it seemed like fun."

"Fun?" Irene snorted.

"Mycroft had been insufferable, I wanted to see if I could out-Mycroft him. And it worked for a while, didn't it - until you started up again, you couldn't stand being underground, could you? No, not you..." He tried to laugh, but it turned into a cough. "As long as you could stand to be anonymous, he never would have found you -"

"Arse - " She grinned at him fondly. "You're right, it was what I imagine being dead was like, to lose everything that I had created, but still breathing. I lost Kate, she couldn't take it anymore - hated me for depending on Jim. She loved the powerful me, the arrogance, my strut - my -"

"Audacity?" 

"Mmm...when I lost that, she left me. I think I loved her. As much as I can love anyone, I did her. Then I stopped caring if someone found me. Of course, Myc found me first."

"Of course he did, he always kept an eye on things, he is rather good at seeing the big picture, and sensing blips, changes, butterflies in Japan...much better than I...he doesn't allow himself to concern himself with sentiment."

"Then why - ?"

"Rescue me? To clean up his mess, closure? Not from any sense of fraternal love, believe me. Perhaps one day, I'll tell you of my other brother, there were three of us, once upon a time..."


	4. Arrivals and Departures

She had hoped to leave unnoticed, but he jolted awake when they landed. He blinked at her, and was obviously struggling to remember the why and where and when he found himself.

"It's me, 'Rene. I helped get you out of Serbia, remember?"

He tried to reach towards her, but couldn't. He shook his head and closed his eyes again.

"How is he?" The familiar voice broke through her thoughts and she glared at him. 

"How do you think he is, Mycroft? Look at him. Probably hasn't eaten in a month, he's dehydrated. at least 4 ribs are broken, both ankles, a knee, his fingers...tell me, how do you think he is?"

"Thank you, Ms. Adler, for your diagnoses, I do have a team here to deal with things..."

"But not the right doctor."

"There is a jet ready to take you wherever you want to go. You have done more than was asked of you -"

"Right."

She boarded the jet, and smiled at the pilot. "New York City, with a pit stop in London."

"Ms. Adler. My instructions..."

"Call me 'Rene." She bent down and whispered in the pilot's ear. She blushed and nodded. And set her instruments for London.

"You are too kind."

 

In less than two hours, she found herself in the back of a cab headed towards where her informant assured her Dr. John Watson would be at the moment. She shuddered a bit when she realised the date, and knew exactly where the cabbie would be taking her.

"Damn you, Mycroft." It had been exactly two years since Sherlock had jumped from the roof of St. Bart's Hospital.


	5. Endgame

"Dr. Watson?" The man in front of her jumped, and she saw his fists clench tighter.

"Best if you didn't turn around, I just need to give you a message."

He nodded. She almost touched him, but she, of all people, knew when not to touch.

"He's in Germany. In hospital. I helped get him out of Serbia. I will text you his location if you are interested."

Another nod.

"You won't see me or hear from me again. Neither will he. I hope you will be able to forgive him, someday." She sent him the information and began to turn away.

"Wait." His voice was older and rougher than she remembered. "I know you didn't have to do this, any of this. I kind of knew you weren't really dead. He disappeared on a 'mission' a while after it was all over, he came back different, like something was finished, sort of." He sighed and he slowly fell to his knees in front of the black stone. "I guess I always knew he wasn't done with me. I do love him, but you always knew that."

"Yes. If it helps, nothing ever happened, as much as I wanted it to, he wasn't interested. He has only ever loved one person in his life, and it has always been you. But you knew that."

"Silly arse." 

"Your silly arse. There are tickets under your name waiting for you. I wouldn't wait too long. You know how Mycroft is -"

"Yeah. Yeah I do." He almost laughed.

"Good-bye, Dr. Watson."

"Ms. Adler."


End file.
